The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-01-08
THIEVES.
American Plutocrats Who Ppropiia'o INV
Coats-of-A Arms Of English Nobiity.

American Piutocrats Who Appropriate TINS
Coats-of.A Arms OF English Nobility.
1t is not generally known, but II II
nevertheless a fact that every large
carriage manufacturing establishment
in this country has . library. The
works of only two authors are in this
library. and these are the productions
of Mr.. Burke and Mr.. Lodge. Burkes
'.Peerage and Baronetage." Lodges
book of the same title, and Burke's
General Armory' are all that are
needed. but they are Indispensable.
A man on whom fortune has smiled
is having A carriage built. 1t is to be
q heavy numbering affair. and guaran'
teed to have a look of ancient respect.
ability about it before it comes out Of
the shop. Now he, sensible man, had
intended to have his cipher on the
panels, but the ladies of the family are
more ambitious and keep at him until,
in a moment of weakness. he consents
to decorate his family carriage with Il
coat-of-arms. The next question is
how to get one. Heretofore he and his
ancestors have struggled along with.
out armorial bearings and never espec-
iallv felt the need of them. But now
things are changed. If he lived in
Brazil he would endow a hospital, and
the Emperor would make him a baron
with a coat-of-arms of great compleNl-
ty. If he were an Englishman. he
might do a hundred things less expen-
sive and get a pedigree and eoat-of-
arms from the College of Heralds and
write Sir before his lame. But being
an American, there is no way for him
to get Il coat-of-arms except to steal
it, and so the respectable old gentle
MAJ is driven to the first theft of his
life. The New York College of Her
aldry being no longer in existence. he
coniides in the carriage manufacturer.
The carriage man brings out his
library and in the seclusion of his pri-
waite office the coat-of-arms Of some
more or less noble lord is APP
propriated. to be subsequently
transferred to the rich mans
family coach. These people are rather
particular about their arms when they
once get started in the selection. Say,
for instance. that the man who wants
a coat-of-arms is named Smith. The
carriage man opens his heraldric record
and reads: ''Smith. Edward Augustus
Patrick Peter. First Baronet of Mud
towne. County Kerry, Ireland" No.
no. says the rich man. Our family
are English by descent
a few more pages are turned over
and then under a menagerie OF herald
ric animals the carriage manufacturer
''Billingsgate, Marquis Of
(~Smith-Fitz Plantarenet). James Au-
gustus Douglas George, Marquis and
Baron Smith, of County OF York.
The Marquis assumed in 1876 by royal
license the additional surname of Fitz
Plantagenet for himself and his issue
qu~artered the Plantasenet arms
with his own
''.Ah. that must be the one says the
after a coat-of-arms. II have
that our family came from York
And so the arms of the Marquis OF
BillingSgate blaze on the panels OF the
new carriage when it rolls along the
avenue.
Appropriations Of coats-of-arms woulG
make themselves less absurd il
hey would read Il rudimuntary buuk
IN heraldry before they made the APP
Dropriation. For instance. Mr.. Smith.
IL ~appropriating the coat-of-arms of
he Most Honorable the Marquis of
5illingsgate." takes not only the arms
If Smith. but the arms of Fitz Planta-
genet and likewise the supporters
which can only be used by a Peer of
he Realm. He surmounts the whole
With the cap and coronet of a Marquis.
md any m versed in such matters
would suppose that a Peer was riding
n the carriage instead of plain Nj.
smith. Now, if Mr.. Smith did really
to the family of the Marquis, as
lie did not. he would be entitled only
o the arms Of Smith. without the coro-
let, the supporters OF the motto.-l.
Tribune.